Elizabeth Asantewaa Obeng (PhD)

Position: Principal Research Scientist

Head - Forest Policy, Governance & Livelihoods Division

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel:+233-(0)3220-60123/60373

Professional fields of interest:

Environmental and Natural Resource

Economics (Economic valuation of ecosystem services); Socio- economics (Agro-ecological economics, farming systems, forest and rural livelihoods, gender based analysis, climate change vulnerability and impacts assessments, vulnerability index, baseline surveys, environmental resource assessment, market studies and commodity value chain analysis); forest policy and governance related research.

Professional Background

2017 PhD in Natural Resources (Forest Resource Economics and Policy), University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
2005 MSc Sustainable Resource Management, Technical University of Munich, Germany
2003 BSc Agriculture (Economics and Farm Management), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Other Training

• Improving forest Governance training course for climate change mitigation and Adaptation. University of Wolverhampton, Telford Campus, United Kingdom. 1st – 29th June 2011
• Wood Anatomy Training Workshop for Anatomical Description of Timber Resources of Tropical Africa, Kumasi. Ghana. 13th – 23rd September 2010:
• Editorial Training; PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University Research, Netherlands 3rd September – 30th November 2009
• International DAAD‐Alumni Summer School at the University of Greifswald „From Research to Practice: The Role of Education for Sustainable
• Development in Natural Resource Management in Research, Education and International Cooperation. Greifswald, Germany. 23rd -30th March 2009

Selected Research Projects

• Ghana bamboo value chain mapping study
• Bottlenecks to supplying legal wood to the domestic market
• Bamboo policy integration analysis in Ghana
• Establishing a Land Restoration Research and Demonstration Area within Degraded Mining Sites in the Bibiani Areas, Ghana
• Assessments of socioeconomics baseline for the proposed Yawmatwa and Manzan CREMAS in the Bia West Districts in Ghana.
• Socio-economic and agro-ecological analysis of agricultural landscapes for sustainable tree integration in Brong Ahafo and Western Regions of Ghana. Ghana Forest Investment Project
• Rehabilitation of degraded forests for sustainable woodfuel production and climate change mitigation in the forest-savanna transition zone of Ghana
• Analysis of the Ghanaian woodfuel supply and value chains
• Analysis and promoting adoption of soil, water and agricultural conservation techniques at the Lake Bosomtwe area, Ashanti Region, Ghana
• Climate change and forest dependent livelihoods: vulnerabilities and potential impacts study.

Publications

1. Obeng, E.A., Oduro, K.A., Obiri, B.D., Abukari, H., Guuroh, R.T., Djagbletey, G.D., Appiah-Korang, J. and Appiah, M. (2019). Impact of illegal mining activities on forest ecosystem services: local communities’ attitudes and willingness to participate in restoration activities in Ghana. Heliyon, 5(10), p.e02617.
2. Obeng, E. A., Oduro, K. A., & Obiri, B. D. (2019). Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting US Residents’ Willingness to Pay to Restore Degraded Tropical Rainforest Watersheds. Journal of Sustainable Development, 12 (6): 62-81
3. Darko Obiri, B, Obeng, EA, Nunoo, I, Peprah, T. and Opuni Frimpong, E. (2018). Financial analysis of fuelwood production from woodlots in the Savanna Transition Zone of Ghana. Ghana Journal of Forestry, 34 (1), 58-72.
4. Aguilar, F.X., Obeng, E.A., & Cai, Z. (2018). Water quality improvements elicit consistent willingness-to-pay for the enhancement of forested watershed ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 30, 158-171
5. Obeng, E.A. Aguilar, F.X. and McCann, L.M. (2018). Payments for forest ecosystem services: a look at neglected existence values, the free-rider problem and beneficiaries’ willingness to pay. International Forestry Review, 20(2)
6. Obeng, E.A. and Aguilar, F.X. (2018). Value orientation and payment for ecosystem services: Perceived detrimental consequences lead to willingness-to-pay for ecosystem services. Journal of Environmental Management 206C, 458-471.
7. Dumenu, W.K. and Obeng, E.A. (2016). Climate change and rural communities in Ghana: Social vulnerability, impacts, adaptations and policy implications. Environmental Science & Policy 55: 208-217.
8. Obeng, E.A. and Aguilar, F.X. (2015). Marginal effects on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling of transitions from tropical forests to cacao farming systems. Agroforestry Systems, 89 (1), 19-35.
9. Obeng, E.A. and Weber, M. (2014). Socio-economic factors affecting agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers in Ghana. Ghana Journal of Forestry 30 (1): 43-60.
10. Obiri, B.D., Agyeman, V.K., Kyereh, B., Nutakor, E., Obeng, E.A., Agyeman, A. and Acquah, S.B. (2011). Perception and participation of local communities in tree planting initiatives in northern Ghana. Ghana Journal of Forestry, 27 (3), 80-93.
11. Obeng, E.A., Kobina, J.K. and Pentsil, S. (2011). Carving out indigenous tree species to sustain rural livelihood. Ghana Journal of Forestry, 27 (2), 85-96.
12. Obeng, E.A. Marfo, E., Nelson, O., and Nantwi, G.B. (2014). Assessment of the Effectiveness of Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue. Tropenbos International: Wageningen, the Netherlands. ISBN: 978-90-5113-117-8, 82pp.
13. Obiri, B.D., Nunoo, I., Obeng, E.A., Owusu, F.W. and Marfo, E. (2014). The charcoal industry in Ghana: An alternative livelihood option for displaced illegal chanisaw lumber producers. Tropenbos International: Wageningen, the Netherlands. ISBN: 978-90-5113-122-2, 132pp.
14. Beeko, C., Oduro, K.A. and Obeng, E.A. (2014). Development assistance in the forestry sector: impacts over the last two decades and implications for the future. CSIR-FORIG: Kumasi, Ghana. ISBN: 978-9988-2-0206-4. 42pp.

Awards / Fellowships

• Frieda Yeo Fellowship at the University of Missouri, Columbia-Missouri, USA for PhD studies at the School of Natural Resources, Department of Forestry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA (2014-2017)
• European Forest Institute Fellowship to attend improving forest governance course. University of Wolverhampton, Telford Campus, United Kingdom (2011)
• USDA Norman Borlaug Fellowship Award Program for mentorship training at the University of Missouri, Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture and Food and Natural Resources (2012)
• Katholische Academishe Auslande Dienst (www.kaad.de) Scholarship for MSc degree program in Germany (2005-2007)
• Award/Fellowship to attend the International DAAD‐Alumni Summer School at the University of Greifswald, Germany (2009)
• Associate Editor Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 7 (2) (2012). Timber 2 Book: authored and co-authored 43 articles on African timber plants species. In. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA Foundation, Wageningen, Netherlands / CTA, Wageningen, Netherlands.

Affiliation

• Midwest Economics Association
• International Society of Forest Resource Economist (ISFRE)